Sunday, May 6, 2012

Can it really be Sunday again already? Days are flying! Since starting Sunday's Words I always get email questions about my faith so I thought I would share about it briefly. I grew up a Christian and believe in God, Jesus and the Word. As a very young teacher I spent Sunday evenings attending Alanon meetings in an attempt to figure out the best way to deal with a relationship with someone who was having a hard time with addiction, depression and suicide. It was during this dark time and during these meetings that I really saw the light and developed my adult faith. This person is now doing wonderfully and is a social worker helping others going through what he did. His life was a lesson to me.

God is good and trials happen for a reason.
As hard as it was during that time, I am grateful for that dark period in my life.

In Alanon we rely on the power of the Serenity Prayer to deal with hard relationships but as a teacher these words help me deal with the struggles I sometimes face working with my students.

Teachers are dedicated, hard working souls. We want to give our kids the world but the reality is that so much is beyond our control. We can't control their family life and anything that happens to them when they walk out of those school doors. We are out of the driver's seat and for teachers who like to be in control, the passenger side is a hard place to sit. This is why I am constantly referring back to these three simple words:

What I can control is what I do with my students for the 6 hours I get them. I try to make them count. So during this teacher appreciation week let us focus on what we can do and not beat ourselves up for what is beyond our control . I believe in teaching fearlessly and then I just must trust that it is making a difference. God is good and he is in control. So for all my hardworking friends, during this teacher appreciation week, I wish that you receive the gift of serenity. Have a great week everyone!